In modern business, the automation of logistics processes is no longer a trend — it’s a necessity. Companies aiming to optimize workflows, reduce manual labor, and ensure reliable goods turnover increasingly rely on freight lifting equipment. But how do you choose the right lift for your warehouse? In this article, Dolever experts outline the key parameters and technical factors to consider.
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Dolever provides integrated lifting solutions for warehouses, logistics hubs, and manufacturing facilities. All equipment complies with modern reliability and safety standards:
When selecting a lift, it is important to consider a number of technical characteristics of cargo lifting equipment that directly affect operational efficiency.
First of all, the load capacity of the lift must be defined, which should correspond to the maximum loads on the platform. The lifting height is set depending on the configuration of the facility and logistical requirements. Equally important are the lifting speed and duty cycle, as they affect overall productivity. The choice between stationary or mobile mounting type depends on the format of activity. A comprehensive analysis of these characteristics will help select the optimal model.
One of the key parameters to pay attention to when it comes to choosing cargo lifting equipment is the drive type (hydraulic / electromechanical). Hydraulic lifts, including pallet lifts, are characterized by high load capacity and reliability, operate based on hydraulic cylinders, and are suitable for heavy-duty industrial conditions. On the other hand, electromechanical systems are often used in public buildings and commercial infrastructure, as they provide higher lifting speed and precise floor-level stopping. When selecting the drive type, it is important to consider both the nature of the loads and the intensity of operation.
When choosing an electric lift, it is worth considering not only its technical characteristics but also the conditions in which the equipment will operate. Humidity, dust, temperature, usage frequency — all of these affect equipment wear resistance. For outdoor use, models made of corrosion-resistant materials and frost-resistant hydraulic systems are selected. Indoor lifts, on the contrary, can have a lighter construction but may require adaptation to the power grid or limited space.
Safety is a critically important aspect in the operation of cargo lifting equipment. In conditions of intensive warehouse traffic, even a minor technical error can lead to serious consequences — both for personnel and for cargo. That is why Dolever implements a multi-level protection system and has all the necessary certification for lifts.
Among the key elements that enhance operational safety:
Each type of lifting equipment provides its own specific solutions. Our engineers will select the appropriate configuration, taking into account the specifics of the facility, usage intensity, and operating conditions.
A correct lift selection is a combination of technical feasibility, safety, and long-term efficiency. If you are unsure about the parameters or do not know which type of freight lift is suitable for your facility, it is worth consulting specialists. The Dolever team provides full support — from initial consultation to the selection of equipment for specific technical tasks. We will help analyze the operating conditions, determine the optimal load capacity, platform dimensions, and select the model that best meets your requirements.
All logistics facilities need warehouse equipment to perform their everyday activities efficiently. If we take equipment to mean any element that makes warehouse activity possible (racks, forklifts, automated systems, etc.), the market offers a wide variety of solutions that can be adapted to the particular characteristics of each company. For instance, depending on the type of unit load and products managed, the material flows and other factors will influence the choice of the most suitable equipment for each need.
In this post, we’ll take a look at all the must-have warehouse equipment. We’ll run through the most basic and obvious items to other more sophisticated elements that — although not as well known — can also significantly boost productivity and safety in the facility.
Warehouse equipment refers to any element, system, or machine employed in logistics tasks such as: goods receipt, storage, stock management, transportation, order processing, and goods dispatch. We can differentiate between manual equipment (pallet racks, forklifts, and order pickers, to name a few) and automated equipment (such as conveyors, electrified monorails, and stacker cranes).
To make logistics processes as efficient as possible,
each operation requires a specific type of warehouse equipment. For example, truck loading/unloading and preparing orders containing small items call for different solutions. Therefore, choosing the right type of warehouse equipment for each operation is key in determining the success of a business’s supply chain.
Warehouse equipment relating to the storage of goods is extremely varied. On the one hand, we have storage systems for accommodating small items, such as shelving and carton flow racks.
On the other hand are storage systems for pallets designed to hold bulkier goods. These include pallet racks, drive-in pallet racks, mobile racking systems, push-back racking systems, and pallet flow racks. Of all the compact systems, the semi-automated Pallet Shuttle stands out. This storage solution uses a motorized shuttle to move pallets inside high-density racks.
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In addition to boxes and pallets, equipment can be employed to handle the storage of cumbersome items. This is the case of cantilever racks, devised to hold long products on their load-bearing arms.
We can also find solutions specializing in the storage of irregular goods, e.g., racking for reels and drums.
More and more companies are implementing warehouse management systems (WMSs). This software coordinates all operations in a logistics facility, from order picking to product slotting, among others. The WMS supervises all processes in the warehouse: via an RF scanner, the software tells the operator which task to carry out, minimizing the risk of error in all logistics stages.
The software is present at the various workstations and can normally be accessed from a PC. Likewise, it generates and prints labels for each good to facilitate product identification and traceability.
In a warehouse with manual operations, the flow of goods is carried out with forklifts and other manual handling equipment. These machines are charged with transporting palletized goods between the different storage areas.
Not all forklifts fulfill the same function. For instance, pallet jacks and pallet stackers are the most common for order picking and for moving a relatively small number of pallets over short distances. Meanwhile, reach trucks and counterbalanced forklifts serve to transport pallets and place them in different racking units and at different heights.
Warehouse pickers make use of warehouse equipment to cut down on travel and improve their efficiency in picking. One of the most widespread solutions are order pickers, manual handling equipment that speeds up pallet picking. To prepare orders with boxes, operators often follow the pick-to-cart method, whereby they move around the facility, placing the products of multiple orders in their carts.
In this logistics phase, operators are equipped with picking assistance devices that lower the probability of mistakes. One example is voice picking systems, whereby operators use a headset with a microphone to interact with the warehouse management software and follow its instructions to complete each order.
On the other hand, the workstations set up for packing are made up of equipment such as scales, specialized packaging machines and an adjustable ergonomic workbench. Plus, if required, the workstation can be connected to the WMS by means of a computer.
To streamline product movements in the facility and raise throughput, one go-to solution is to automate part or all of your storage operations. The warehouse can be equipped with automatic handling equipment, e.g., stacker cranes (AS/RS for pallets). There are multiple types of stacker cranes — single-mast, twin-mast, and AS/RS trilateral stacker cranes, among others — that can be adjusted to the requirements of each customer. These types of robots make it possible to compact the goods and raise productivity, thanks to their agility in performing combined operation cycles.
In the case of products stored in boxes or on trays, miniload systems (AS/RS for boxes) can be used. With this solution, an automated stacker crane speeds up the placement and removal of stock from the racks.
But goods storage isn’t the only operation that can be automated. You can also install automated conveying systems — i.e., pallet conveyors or roller conveyors for boxes, totes, and bins — to increase the flow of movements in the facility. This category includes electrified monorails for pallets, an automatic conveying system comprising self-propelled carriages that move along an electrified rail creating a closed circuit.
The market also offers other robotic load carriers, such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), which use technology such as machine learning to transport products in the warehouse.
Logistics facilities should be outfitted with safety systems that ensure the integrity of the operators, the products, and the storage and load moving equipment. In this category, we find signage to prevent the main warehouse risks: from floor markings to illuminated signs to RMI signs for the racks.
To guarantee safety, it’s also essential to provide operators with the personal protective equipment (PPE) designated by the laws in each country. Moreover, when necessary, wire mesh partitions, pallet rack guards, and pedestrian barriers should be installed.
There’s a huge variety of warehouse equipment on the market to meet the needs of every company. Factors such as the available storage space, the warehousing conditions, and the unit load(s) managed will determine which type of equipment is appropriate for your business.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of electric mast lift. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.